Page 83 of His Eighth Ride

“We did, bro,” Flint said as he started glancing around.

“Maybe I was out in the field still,” Tag said, trying to remember where he’d been about ninety minutes ago, when his brothers had surely landed.

“I don’t smell dinner,” Sawyer said.

“That’s because it’s lunchtime.” Flint elbowed his brother. “You ate on the plane besides.”

“I’m hungry,” Sawyer complained, and since he’d been born second and the smaller of the twins, he often teased Flint about taking all his nutrients in the womb.

“Let’s go to lunch,” Tag said. “There’s a great burger place only about twenty minutes away.”

“You’re done with work?” Flint asked.

“Yep, done for the whole weekend.” Tag grinned at them. “So we can go hiking or camping. We can go into the city. Whatever you want.”

“Where’s Opal?” Sawyer actually looked down the hallway, like Tag would be hiding her back there.

His stomach cinched. “Oh, uh, she had to go out of town.”

“Out of town?” Flint asked as Sawyer said, “Dude, did you invent a girlfriend?”

“No.” Tag shot his youngest brother a glare. “She’s real. Her brother had a baby.”

“Dude, boys don’t have babies.” Sawyer grinned at him like he was the funniest man alive.

Tag rolled his eyes, though everything with the twins was a party. “Her brother’s wife had a baby, and Opal went to help for a couple of weeks.”

“A couple of weeks?” Sawyer asked. “That’s a long time.”

So Tag didn’t mention that the little boy was almost a month old now. “She loves babies,” was all he said. “She’ll be back next week. Thursday.”

“Convenient,” Flint said.

“Do you want to see a picture?” Tag glared at him and reached for his phone on the counter.

“Yes,” Flint said with a nod. “Yes, we want to see a picture.”

“And not an old one, dude. Have her text you one right now.” They both crowded into Tag, and he wanted to shove them back.

Instead, he let their travel stench and their hot breath waft over him while he texted Opal. Hey, honey. My brothers are here, and they think you don’t exist. Can you send me a picture real quick?

Then, realizing how pathetic and maybe even creepy that sounded, his thumbs flew to get a second message sent. This isn’t creepy or a joke. The twins came for my birthday, and I originally told them they could meet you, but obviously they can’t.

“Let’s take a selfie,” he said. “Stay where you are.” Because they already hovered around him, all Tag had to do was reach out with his phone and snap the photo.

See? He attached the photo to the text and sent it too. They’re waiting right on top of me, just so you know.

Not that she’d send a scandalous picture, but the message did get Flint to fall back a pace. Then two. “Nice place,” he said.

Sawyer continued to watch Tag’s phone, and Tag rolled his eyes again and handed it to his brother. “She’s real, you idiot.” Sawyer only grinned at him, then went back to the phone.

“It’s not the biggest, nicest place,” Tag said. “But I like it. It’s home.”

Flint nodded, his smile bright and bold as he faced Tag. “You look good, brother. Happy birthday.”

“Tomorrow,” Tag said. “My birthday’s tomorrow.”

Flint grabbed him in a hug. “I know when your birthday is, Taggart.” He pounded him on the back. “Colorado is nice. Cooler. Big mountains.”

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